Summary: Maybe Shioriko isn't ready yet to voice out those three words, but she's certain that one day she'll finally be able to do it as she feels them throbbing inside her heart.
Shioriko/Lanzhu

Those three words

The sunlight sneaks into the bedroom slowly waking her up, before the chirping of the birds finishes waking her up completely.

Shioriko can't help but open her scarlet eyes slowly, blinking several times, before she focuses on the sleeping beauty beside her on bed, watching the peaceful expression adorning her features.

A soft smile spreads across her own lips as she watches her girlfriend sleeping soundly, seeing how also the soft smile playing on her lips is slightly hidden by a strand of her pink hair.

Shioriko can't help but bring one of her hands up to tuck the strand of hair behind the other girl's ear, brushing her fingertips ever so slightly over her cheek careful to not disturb her slumber, before she lets out a heavy sigh and retracts her hand to her own chest, feeling her heart beating fast against it.

The raven haired girl then watches the sleeping beauty for a couple of minutes more, trying to calm down her beating heart as she thinks on those three words locked inside it and that she seems to be unable to voice out no matter what, before another heavy sigh escapes her lips and she carefully gets out of their bed, covering her girlfriend with the blankets better so she doesn't get cold.

She leans to brush Lanzhu's bangs lightly before she leaves a kiss on her forehead and walks stealthy towards their bedroom's door, glancing one last time to the beauty in bed making sure she's still sleeping peacefully, to then open and close the door behind her trying not to make any sound and head to the kitchen.

As she's by the stove, she can't help but sigh heavily once more, thinking about the pink haired girl that stole her heart ever since they were just mere kids with a simple smile and a wink, envying how easy is for her girlfriend to show her affection and how much she cares for her and loves her with just a smile, a hug, and especially, by saying those three words that seem so hard for her to voice out.

Shioriko finds herself staring at the flour and the box of eggs placed on the countertop ready to be used to make some pancakes, when suddenly an idea comes to her mind, biting her lips upon the embarrassment of it, and she decides to give it a try.

She's actually so engrossed making sure the pancakes have a perfect round shape, that she doesn't hear her girlfriend entering the kitchen, before she feels a pair of strong arms circling her waist to pull her into the body behind her, a sweet giggle filling her ear as a kiss is left under it.

- Morning Shio!

Lanzhu's happy voice fills the silence reigning over the kitchen until now, bringing a smile to Shioriko's face as she answers to her girlfriend.

- Good morning, Lanzhu.

She says calmly, hearing Lanzhu giggling happily once again while tightening her hold around her girlfriend's waist and before she leaves a kiss on her cheek, sniffling the delicious smell of pancakes filling the room.

- Pancakes? – she asks as she rests her chin on Shioriko's shoulder, hearing the raven haired girl humming – Do you want me to help you in anything?

She asks, before she feels Shioriko shaking her head against her.

- No, don't worry. I'm just finishing.

Shioriko tells her, feeling Lanzhu nodding against her head, before the pink haired girl leaves another kiss on her cheek, making her blush lightly as her heart flutters with such a simple gesture.

- Okie! Then I'll finish setting the table and wait for the pancakes!

Lanzhu exclaims chirpily, a happy giggle escaping her lips that elicits a smile from Shioriko who can only focus back on keep making their pancakes, before placing them in two different plates.

Shioriko quickly leaves one of the plates by her place at the table, eyeing Lanzhu for a brief second to see the tender smile she's giving her, before she goes for her girlfriend's plate and uses the strawberry syrup next to it.

She then inhales deeply and takes both of the plate and the syrup bottle in her hands to walk to the table, stopping briefly to place the syrup bottle on it and look at the plate in her hands, biting her lips nervously while unconsciously eliciting a giggle from her girlfriend sat across from her.

- What's wrong? Don't tell me you burnt them?

Lanzhu comments teasingly, grinning as she says it while Shioriko snorts and narrows her eyes at her.

- Who are you taking me for?

She answers back defensively, hearing Lanzhu giggling amused by her come back, before she exhales shakily and places the plate on the table right in front of her girlfriend.

Lanzhu's giggles are soon replaced by a loud gasp as she stares at it surprised, seeing the little but cute message decorating the pancakes.

"I you"

It says, making the smile on Lanzhu's lips widen beamingly as she looks up at Shioriko with nothing but love in her eyes, seeing her girlfriend blush under such an intense gaze. Shioriko then sees her girlfriend rising from her seat to walk to her and pull her into a tight hug and a deep kiss.

- I love you too Shio! – Lanzhu exclaims happily, moved by her shy girlfriend's gesture, before a giggle escapes her lips while she pokes Shioriko's cheek playfully – But don't tell me you need to write it on a couple of pancakes because you can't tell it to me for real.

Lanzhu teases her once again, yet looks at her fondly, finding cute what Shioriko did, and knowing how hard it's for her girlfriend to voice out what she feels for her and show such kind of affection.

- I…

Shioriko can't answer her, being silenced by Lanzhu as the pink haired girl places a finger on her lips, before she quickly replaces it with her lips in a tender kiss.

- It's okay, Shio, I know how much you love me. Even if you don't say it with words, you always show it to me every day and that's more than enough to me.

Lanzhu says with a soft tender smile playing on her lips, caressing Shioriko's cheeks, before she pulls her into another kiss and rests their foreheads together.

Maybe Shioriko isn't ready yet to voice out those three words, but she's certain that one day she'll finally be able to do it as she feels them throbbing inside her heart.